Islamic State released audio of Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi

Vastavam web: Islamic State released an audio recording of its leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi on Thursday, the firstcommunication from the elusive jihadist leader in almost year during which the group has lost much of the territory it controlled in Iraq and Syria.The date of the 46-minute recording, released via the Al-Furqan news organisation, which is linked to the jihadist group, was not clear. But Baghdadi makes reference to North Korean threats against Japan and United States.

U.S.-backed Iraqi forces have since defeated Islamic State in Mosul, where Baghdadi declared a self-styled caliphate three years ago. Militants blew up Mosul’s El Nuri mosque where Baghdadi made his 2014 declaration after Islamic State captured the city.Officials have said they believed it could take years to capture or kill Baghdadi as he is thought to be hiding in thousands of square miles of sparsely-populated desert between Mosul and Raqqa, where drones are easy to spot.